Decording Car sticker

Decoding Car Stickers

Cars! Well, there is no end to our curiosities and excitement about them. Have you ever thought about learning much about them by looking at them through the glass windows of car showrooms? Yes you can, through the car window stickers. Thy will tell you a lot like, whether a particular vehicle is new or used and many more.

In the US, all old and new cars have 'monroney' posted on a side window. Monroneys are informational window stickers and takes its name after a congressman who introduced the legislation that mandated its presence on most vehicles for sale. Although this legislation does not apply for light trucks like passenger vans and sport-utility vehicles, most car manufacturers and dealers put up the car stickers here too. These car window stickers contain key information about the vehicle that you see in front of you, which could be a new one or an used one. Now let's see what does a sticker in new and used cars lists.

In case of new cars, the sticker will contain manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) for the vehicle and other options set at the factories. The shipping cost from the point of final assembly to your local dealership will also be present. This price is summed to the MSRP to calculate the net price. The sticker will also have details of fuel economy and information of the parts. In addition to this it will have lists of standard and optional equipments.

The used cars have completely different stickers than the new ones. The Federal Trade Commission states in the Used Car Rule that a 'Buyer's Guide' should be easily visible from outside the car. The Buyer's Guide should contain all basic information. Besides it should say whether the car is being offered with a warranty or not. If there is a warranty, the sticker should have the details. Generally, in case of used cars both the dealer and the owner pay certain amount of the restoration charges. The sticker therefore should state about the percentage of the cost that the dealer and the owner will bear.

The Buyer's Guide also tells customer that he should ask an independent mechanic to inspect the car before purchase. The other side of the sticker lists the defects that the car may have. Sometimes a used car also contains a second sticker that talks of the equipments that have been added at the dealership. These equipments are generally optional; Most of the times these items are overpriced and therefore you can go on a bargain or refuse to have them. If the dealer says it is already attached, you can enter an argument of refusing to pay for it.

These add on stickers are designed to squeeze more money out of you. They are listed under such official names like M.V.A. (Market Value Adjustment) and A.D.P. (Additional Dealer Profit). Some dealers may use such names as "Currency Valuation Fee" and "Import Tariff" to pad up their pockets. Try to avoid such dealers while making a purchase. Knowledge of decoding window stickers will help you make an informed decision when purchasing a new or used car.